Automatic musical instrument.



E. W. SCHERR, JR- AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG:23 19w. 3

fatented Sept. 17, 1918.

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E. W. SCHERR, 1R. AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-23.1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

I EMILIUS WILLIAM SCHERR, JR., OF NEW YORK, N.

Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 17, 1918- Applicationfiled August 23, 1916. Serial No. 116,485.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMiLIUs WVILLIAM Sonnnn, J12, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Musical Instruments,- of which the following is a specification.

I The present invention relates to automatic musical instruments, and more particularly to means for illuminating the perforated music sheets and associated expression devices with which such instruments are ordinarily equipped.

In instruments of the character specified, it is customary to provide, usually on the sheet itself, indicia of various sorts to indicate, for example, the tempo and dynamics of the composition recorded on the sheet, these indicia serving to specify the particular expression devices which are to be operated during playing, as well as their manner of operation. The indicia, however, can at times be read only with considerable difficulty, especially at night or in a dark room, so that accurate playing of the composition is more or less precluded.

This invention aims, therefore, to overcome the defects aforementioned by lighting the sheet in such a way that the player can observe and follow the markings with equal facility under any and all playing conditions. Furthermore, and in particular, the

invention comprises the arrangement of the usual pointer behind the music sheet instead of in front thereof as is the case ordinarily, so as to offer no obstruction to the insertion and removal of the music rolls; and in the same connection, it comprises the mounting of the lighting means in such a position as to illuminate the tip of the pointer, thus permitting the player to readily follow the ex pression line on the sheet, which line is likewise rendered visible through the sheet.

Other and further objects and improve ments will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show some of the specific embodiments which the present improvements are adapted to take, and in said drawings I Figure 1 is a face view of a tracker box embodying my improvements and containmg a music sheet in playing position;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the device on the line 22 in Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail from Fig. 2 to show a modification; v

Fig. a is an enlarged detail from Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. ,2, but showing another form of the illuminated pointer;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, on the line 66 in Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows; I

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail from Fig. 6, showing a third form of illuminated pointer;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, on line 88 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 9 is a face view ofthe device in Fig. 7.

Describing now the specific devices of the drawings: 1 is a tracker box, 2 the take-up spool, 3 music roll and 4- the tracker bar. In all of the figures, except Fig. 3, the tracker bar is supposed to be made of light transmitting material, such as glass, celluloid. bakelite, etc. The tracker-bar is illuminated from behind by an incandescent light 5 with the result that any indicia, such as the dynamics line 6, or the tempo line 7 whether on the front or back of the music sheet, or whether at day or night, will show from the front of the instrument.

The tempo line 7 is intended to. be followed by a pointer operatively connected with a motor that drives the music sheet, so that the player can automatically control the speed of said motor and the music sheet by.

following the tempo line with said pointer. This pointer heretofore has been located at the front side of the music sheet where it is in the way when it comes to inserting and removing the music sheet. In the drawings I show in Figs. 1, 5 and 7, three forms of illuminated expression pointer, located out of the way behind the music sheet, with which, nevertheless, the expression line on the sheet can be properly followed. In all three, the pointers are operatively supported to be reciprocated vertically behind the music sheet and, beingillumiated, the point of each shows through the music sheet to follow the line thereon. In Figs. 1, 2 and 4, all showing the same construction, the pointer is made ofsheet metal with its point 8 closely adjacent to the back of thethin, light-transmitting portion of the tracker bar. The light 5 (Fig. 2), illuminating said point from behind, makes its shadow show through the tracker bar and music sheet, as shown at Sin Figs. 1 and i, so that the line T can be followed with it. 9 in the drawing is a light-transmitting shield, located adjacent the back of the music sheet on the right side of the tracker bar when the sheet travels laterally, and from right to left, as shown. The light from the same source 5, or another source 10, shines through this shield 9 and through the music sheet so that the player can observe the lines on the sheet and is prepared to interpret them before said portion of the sheet reaches the tracker bar. The shield, like the music-sheet, being preferably merely light-transmitting as distinguished from transparent, prevents any glaring contrast between the light that comes through the body of the music-sheet and that which comes direct through the perforations in the sheet.

Fig. 3 embodies the same principle as in Fig. 2, except that the point 8 of the eX- pression pointer is located at the back of the light-transmitting shield 9 instead of the tracker bar.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the pointer 11 is hollow and contains an electric light 12, which shines through a small opening in the tip of the pointer adjacent the back of the li httransmitting tracker bar, or the shield, or simply the music sheet, as the casemaybe 13 is the electric wire connection, 14: the vertical rod on which the sleeve 15 slides that the pointer is attached to, and 16 is part of a link pivoted to the sleeve and by which the pointer is reciprocated up and down its supporting rod at the will of the player in cansing the pointer to follow the expression line on the sheet.

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the extremity of the pointer has an enlarged foot 17 in which is formed a pointed, triangular opening 18, which the light 5 shines through and shows as a bright spot of the same shape through to the front of the music sheet, as indicated in Fig. 9, with which to follow the expression line.

Finally, instead of the light-transmitting shield 9 being plain, it may have indicia printed or formed thereon, which it is desirable to show through the music sheet, due to the illumination from behind. For example, there may be a line thereon which will show through the 1nusic-sheet as a median longitudinal line showing the division between the base and treble actions of the instrument. Similarly, the musical staff lines may be printed on the shield so as to show through the music sheet in register with the corresponding music perforations thereon, so that these may be read and identified in name and location, thus making it unnecessary to print these lines on the music sheet itself. This pression controlling means feature is indicated in Fig. 1, but the showing is to be considered merely as diagran'imatic.

lVhercas the usual pneumatic t'acker bar is illustrated, obviously this can be of the form used in electrically operated automatic musical instruments or may be substituted by any other means adapted to cooperate with the music sheet in the playing of an automatic musical instrument.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a tracker bar, means for delivering across said bar a light-transmitting music sheet having indicia thereon, and exhaving an illuminated pointer behind said sheet movable relatively to the latter-to follow the indicia thereon.

2. In an automatic musical instrument, the.

combination of a tracker bar, means for delivering across said bar a light-transmitting music sheet having indicia thereon, expression controlling means having an illuminated pointer behind said sheet arranged to follow the indicia on said sheet, and a light-transmitting, merely translucent shield adjacent the back of the music sheet and between it and the pointer.

3. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a light-transmitting tracker bar, means for delivering across said bar a lighttransmitting music sheet havin indicia thereon, and expression contrdlling means including an illuminated pointer having means enabling it to follow the indicia on said sheet behind said tracker bar and sheet.

l. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a light-transmitting tracker bar; means for delivering across said tracker bar a light-transmitting music sheet having indicia thereon; means for illuminating the sheet from behind the sheet to render the indicia visible during the travel of the sheet; and expression-controlling means including a pointer movable relatively to the sheet to follow the indicia at the tracker bar.

5. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a tracker bar; means for delivering across said tracker bar a lighttransmitting, perforated music sheet; a shield adjacent said tracker bar and across which the back of the sheet travels; said sheet and shield onstituting companion elements, one of which has indicia thereon; and means for illuminating said sheet from behind the sheet and shield; said tracker bar and shield being translucent to render the indicia visible during the travel of the sheet while precluding a glaring contrast between the light passing through the body of the sheet and that which passes directly through the perforations in said sheet.

In an automatic musical instrument, the

combination of a tracker bar; means for delivering a light-transmitting music sheet thereaeross; a light-transmitting shield ad jacent said tracker bar and across which the back of the sheet travels; and illuminating means behind the shield; said shield having indicia thereon to show through said sheet durin its travel.

7. 11 an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a tracker bar, means for delivering a light-transmitting music sheet across said bar, a light-transmitting shield adjacent the back of said sheet, and illumi nating means behind said shield, said shield having stafi' lines thereon to show through said music sheet.

8. In an automatic musical 111strument,the

combination of means for operatively supporting and feeding a light-trans1nitting music sheet having indicia thereon, and expression controlling means having an illuminated pointer behind said sheet movable relatively to the latter to follow the indicia thereon. I

EMILIUS WILLIAM SOHERR, JR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

